The
Team: Their top need is at
D-Tackle, and if I were them I would be relentless investigating Dareus
and Fairly. With Fairly probably fitting their old scheme better, and
Dareus maybe fitting Rivera's scheme better. However, if they are not
convinced that Clausen is a Franchise QB, then they have to take Gabbert
here. I seem to be in the minority among NFL pundits. I like Clausen. He
was not good in 2010. However, I saw the game he was forced into as a freshman,
and he was absolutely retched. He played QB like I play QB as a freshman,
and there is no greater insult than that;-) So I wasn't surprised he
struggled as a rookie. usually when guys struggle with the transition to
college football, they then struggle with the transition to NFL football.
However, to many pundits are saying the Panthers don't like Clausen. With
a new coach coming in it could be time to for this franchise to reboot.
They are now super invested in Clausen, as they only spent a 2nd on him.
Taking Gabbert here could them a Brees/Rivers situation San Diego had a
few years back. Having two young QBs to develop is never a bad thing. Give
them a year or two together and then sell on off to the highest
bidder.

The
Player:Newton
is by far the top enigma in the Draft. He has great on field character,
and anyone who says different is flat wrong. he is a great leader who took
control of an Auburn team, that nobody thought was a contender, and led
them to a Championship. However, his off the field character is a serious
concern. Teams have to judge how he will react when he is suddenly and
instantly a millionaire. I think he needs a year sitting on the bench to
develop, so this lockout will actually be beneficial for him, as you can't
expect a rookie QB to start in the NFL next season if the lockout goes
past June. He is nice faker, and seems to enjoy the trickeration part of
the game. He has a really nice short motion on his quick release. He gets
the ball next to his head and snaps it with excellent velocity. He can put
nice zip on the ball. I think he is smarter guy than given credit. He went
from Junior college phenomena to Championship SEC
quarterback in one season at Auburn, and by the end of the season he was
in complete control of the offense. He did a nice job staying in the
pocket and throwing in the eye of the storm. He always looks in control,
despite all the chaos swirling around him. He sees the field better than
he is given credit. He can play action, waggle to his right, stop, and
throw an accurate ball across the middle of the field. He can hit the deep
out with NFL accuracy and velocity. He really has a nice accurate arm.
Then he runs. Once he decides to go, he is something to see. He can make 'em
miss and knock 'em down. He runs with terrific power. He can lower his
head and just crush defenders on the second level. He has a strong NFL arm
and runs like a FB, which is why I think the only guy you can compare him
to is Josh Freeman. If he can develop Freeman's work ethic he will turn
out to be better than Freeman. I am not a big fan of running QBs in the
NFL, but I do like the way he runs. I also like how he tried to stay in
the pocket more and throw in the Championship game. When he sees that 1st
down marker he just lowers his head and smashes his way forward for a 1st
down. He doesn't always throw the prettiest ball when he has to step up
into the pocket. however, but by the end of last season he was stepping up
and looking to throw rather than just taking off. Great short yardage
runner. However, running the QB Draw was a waste of his NFL development.
He really has nice touch on his deep throws. He throws the medium and deep
throws very well. He threw a 30-yard pass to the TE in the Championship
Game, and could not have placed the ball any better. He does a better job
finding the 3rd or 4th receiver than given credit.

I
thought he was exceptional in the Championship Game. I think he takes a
lot of undo criticism. This past season was his first in division 1, and
he played in the SEC. His development from first game to last was
exceptional. I like how he stayed in the pocket and used his feet to gain
time for his WR rather than just taking off. His arm may not be as
strong as Gabbert's or Mallet's, but it is strong enough and he has a
shorter more compact release than both QBs. I am not a big fan of running
QB, but when he takes off he is like a runaway freight train.

The
Reason:The
Rivera has to decide who he wants to hitch his legacy to, Clausen or
Gabbert. A head coach and his starting QB's careers are always completely
entwined with each other. If you are not completely sold on Clausen, you
better take a QB here. If you think you lead a Franchise in the NFL
without a franchise QB, you are doomed to repeat the greatest folly of HCs
and GMs throughout history.

The Team:Word coming out of Denver is that they have
settled on Von "My Main Man" Miller. And I don't blame them
since he is my top rated player, and they guy I thought was the best
player in college over the past two seasons.

The team is in excellent position here. They need to rebuild their front
seven, and the top two prospects in this Draft look like D-Linemen who can
step right in help their defense next season. Remember, John Fox is a
4-3 guy, and his first priority will be to get players who can fit his
scheme.

Von Miller was my favorite edge rusher from last
year. He has been struggling early in the season, but it looks like he is
getting back on track. He has been playing more at OLB and is out in space
more, so it will help his development as Pro, but hurt him this season. Now's
the time to look at players who don't quite fit into NFL measurements, but
play big, like Von Miller and Mark Ingram. Miller is listed at 6-2 240,
but he plays strong as an ox, and is relentless. If they drafted Miller
with their first pick, I would be doing cartwheels. In Texas A&Ms Bowl
game last year he made a series of plays on a goal line stand that was
unbelievable. First he stopped a run as the ROLB. Then he line up at RDE,
he leveraged under the OLT and shrugged him aside, then the FB ran smack
dab into him and he caught him and then threw him aside, and tackled the
RB for a loss. It was an unbelievable display of strength and leverage for
a 240 pound edge rusher. To take on the OLT and the FB and still make the
tackle to save a TD. Then he lined up on the right side again as an edge
rusher, and of course the QB waggled to the opposite side, then decided to
run it in as the goal line appeared open by the Cone. Miller ran all the
way across the field and dragged down the QB from behind before he could
get in the endzone. It was the best display of speed and strength from an
edge rusher I saw all last season. Unfortunately, he really exploded at
the Senior Bowl where everybody could see what I've been saying for two
years, and now looks like a top ten pick.He
made a lot of money at the Senior Bowl were I thought his performance was
overrated. Nobody likes Von Miller more than me, which you see when I
break some film for you guys. However, what he showed at the Senior Bowl
was he could step back a few yards and play the Will or the Sam in a 4-3.
Whippee! It was an impressive display of his athleticism and smarts, and
he by no means looked out of place playing 4-3 Linebacker. However,
playing him at 4-3 Linebacker would be a waste of talent. What he does
better than anybody in this Draft is turn the corner in the passrush. I
have seen a lot passrushers who fooled me because of their burst and
ability to get up field quickly (read: Eric Curry and Vernon Gholston
here), but couldn’t bend and turn the corner. I have never seen a player
who could turn the corner more consistently than Miller. He is such a great natural athlete, and he really
showed he cover as well as any LB during the Senior Bowl practices. He
looks so smooth moving backwards, not that I really care. Nobody uses
their hands and feet together in balance in this Draft than Miller. His
agility and body control is otherworldly. He can come around the corner
lower than anybody I’ve ever seen. He sometimes looks like he is
crawling on the ground towards the QB. Terrific speed running with TEs and
RB in coverage. He played WLB as
a freshman. Then two years at D-End, and then this past season as a 3-4
OLB.

The Team:Why take a mere mortal when you can get a man
who can bend light;-)

The TeamThe
Bills miss out on the best pass rusher in the Draft, darn! However their
punishment is that they get the best pure 3-4 D-end I have ever seen.

The
Player:Dareus
has hands that can almost match Suh's. He likes to impact the O-Tackle,
punch, and then make his move. Heavy hands. Terrific lower body power!
Amazing burst off the line for a guy his size. Huge guy who is more
slippery than you would think possible. Amazing
lateral quickness when he lines up in the Guard-Center gap, and has a
great Rip move to get past the OC. He steps inside to D-Tackle sometimes in Alabama's
hybrid 4-3, but he was primarily a Left 3-4 D-End.
He will also lined up at left D-End in Alabama’s
hybrid 4-3. His ability to use his hands and hips with power, balance, and
quickness and to shed multiple
blockers is excellent. He can string the OT down the line, shed him, take
on the FB way out on the edge, shed him, and still tackle hit the RB. He
was double teamed at the POT
consistently, and he just did not give ground. He might not make the
tackle, but it is near impossible to dig this guy out on running plays
when he plays and stays low. Plays with perfect two-gap technique. he was
better in 2009, and was named MVP of Championship game. Tough as nail.
Played with bad elbow in BCS CG
with a bad elbow and dominated all game.

He has a nice quick Swim, and
deadly power-Rip. When he is stalemated sometimes,
he will drop back into a LOS spy and try and to get into the passing lane
by eyeing the QB . Does a nice job getting his hand up when QB is
throwing. He has a nice move through the double team, where he swims over
one blocker and then Rips past the second. He has some herky jerky
shoulder moves on the rush, and can combo that with a vicious shoulder
punch that can knock the ORT 3-yards back. Great power in his hips, thighs
and feet. he has an other worldly burst off the snap and can just fly around
the ORT. He sometimes stands up at the snap and can get powered out when
the ORT gets under his pads on the run play. He will chops, punch, and
fight the ORT, and then suddenly burst past him. He will sometimes hop up
on the snap at the end of game when he gets tired, and that gets him into
trouble quickly. It is amazing sometimes how a guy his size can burst to
the corner so quickly. He has a terrific inside slap to power Rip, which
is such a vicious move in combo with his quick feet. When he is on he
looks unstoppable. He is such a smart passrusher, and does a great job
combo off multiple moves.

Notes from 2010 BCS Championship Game:
He does a nice job submarining under O-Linemen in
goal line situations. He played D-tackle to start off the game in the
BCS
CG. Texas ran right at him on the opening series and he stopped it dead.
On the goal line he powered down the Line and got in on the tackle on the
Dive run away from him on the first play, and shrugged aside the OG and
made the tackle on the 2nd down. He has such a powerful lower base. He
made the biggest defensive play in the biggest game when he grab abad shuffle pass out of the air and returned it for a touchdown at
end the first half and put Alabama up 24-6. He just keeps O-Linemen moving
backwards consistently. He has such great power and explosion of the snap.
He just keeps shoving, pushing, and punching the OG’s backwards in the
passrush. He also shifted over to right D-Tackle in the
BSC
game which I hadn’t seen him play on the right side of the line before.
Smart rusher who can just stop, redirect, and let the O-Linemen jerk
backwards when he reads Draws or Screens. Seriously,
why do teams bother trying to run to his side. He has powerful and can
toss the TE to the ground and destroy the RB. he also line up at 4-3 Right
D-End a few times. Was double and even triple teamed in the 2nd half, and
was still able to fight forward through the extra blockers.

Marcell Darius is
the man. His ability to play D-End in a BB-type 3-4 and still consistently
harass the QB is beautiful to watch. He plays with such great power in his
hands and hips it is amazing. He can hold off the O-Linemen with his
hands, read the play, and then shrug him aside with amazing power form his
hips, hands, and feet, it is remarkable. He is the best pure 3-4 D-End
prospect I have seen.

The
Reason: They have settled in on Fitzpatrick
as their QB, and are happy to sit here and tale Dareus or Miller, whoever
falls.

The
Team:This
might be the first trade we see. They have three players on the board who
can change this Franchise for the better: Green, Gabbert, and Fairley.
Which means they can easily trade down 3 slots and are guaranteed to get
one, and might be able to trade down 4 or 5 spots and still get on of the
three. The problem with trading down is that you need a partner to trade
up. The two assets on the board right now are Green and Gabbert. Green is
currently the hottest player in the Draft, and some have him as the top
player in the Draft. However, the real carrot is Gabbert. if the 49ers
want to start the rebooting of their Franchise properly, they have to get
a QB right here right now. But, Gabbert doesn't make it past the Cards,
even though past incompetence tells us that are doomed to pass on the QB
at 5 and continue down on their spiral of mismanagement. However, even the
Cards can't be so incompetent that if the Draft Gods shine down on them
next Friday and hand they Gabbert, they can't pass on him, can they? I say
no. So if they don't want Gabbert, and I am saying they don't, word out of
Cincinnati is that want one of the 2nd Round West Coast QBs, which
probably means Gruden really like Dalton. So if they feel safe passing on
Gabbert they can trade down with San Fran for say a simple 2nd if they
don't get greedy, and get Julio Jones (who is a perfect fit for the West
Coast offense) or Fairley at 7. Cleveland will not pass on Green so they
will lose him, and if Gabbert isn't on the Board the Cards could easily
take Fairley.

If Fairly is on the board can the Bengals pass on him? I just
don't see how? Especially if Marvin Lewis has any say in it. Lewis made
his bones as a D-Coordinator and it's time get back to his roots and start
his defense attacking again. Domata Peko, Pat Sims, and Geno Atkins are not
the answer inside at D-Tackle. Peko is good against the run, but not
explosive. Sims has been a slow starter, off the line that is. Akins is
explosive off the Line, but can't play consistently because he gets tired.
Locking Fairly into a DT position would make all those guys look
better.

The Player:
Green does a nice job catching the ball
over his head. He does a nice job adjusting to the ball in the air. When
you talk about a guy who can control his body and speed this is the guy.
When you talk about a guy who can play in different gears this is the guy.
When you talk about a guy who can reach top gear, and then drop his weight
and make a sharp break on an In, Out, Flag, or Post this is the guy. I
admit, he is such a smooth athlete that I tend to underrate him. He is
just so smooth in everything he does.

Green has been on track for a first round pick since high school. he has
the size and speed, and he has the best hands of any WR I've ever seen He
does a nice job catching the ball over his head. He does a nice job
adjusting to the ball in the air. When you talk about a guy who can
control his body and speed this is the guy. When you talk about a guy who
can play in different gears this is the guy. When you talk about a guy who
can reach top gear, and then drop his weight and make a sharp break on an
In, Out, Flag, or Post this is the guy.

The
Reason:Fairly is a super explosive force of nature, who keeps
having his character questioned. Sounds like a Bengal to me.

The
Team:You can always count on
the Cards to do something wacky. Word out of Arizona is that they are
going to pass on the QB and stick with Skelton.

Once Warner left so did
the winning. This teams biggest flaw throughout it's history has always
been it's inability to get a winning QB. This is their chance. However,
word out of Phoenix is that they love Skelton and Hall, and don't want to
take a QB here. I disagree, but not taking a QB here sure fits in with
their history of misery. I guess the owner really didn't enjoy going to
the Super Bowl a few years back. If you want to pretend that Skelton
is the answer at QB, then LB and passrush become their biggest need. Plus,
it has been indecision at the QB position that has devastated this
Franchise for decades. So it's not surprising that indecision
to which defensive scheme to use is hurting this franchise. They hop back
and forth between a 3-4 and 4-3 more times then a wife looking at new
dresses. The good news is the Miller can play in either scheme nearly as
effectively. He will be a ROLB in the 3-4 or the 4-3, and might actually
help the indecision of scheme work.

The
Player:The
one things I really like about Gabbert is that he seems to get better as
the game goes on. When he can step into the pocket he can really get get
the ball the the receiver between defenders with nice zip and accuracy.
Does a good job on the play action, and then throwing it quickly. Does a
great job hitting the WR in full stride on the Slant and let him keep
running down field. They run a lot of quick play actions on the Bubble
screen, which he has to do fast, or the WR is cooked, and he fakes and get
the ball out there quickly. He is a terrific athlete who can run with the
ball. However when he is in the Spread offence to catch, peek, and pitch,
if he can't get it to his 1st or 2nd option, his feet panic, and once his
feet panic he never seems to get the ball off accurately or at all. Even
when he resets his feet, he just can't seem to gather himself. He can
however take off and he will pick up yards on the scramble. He does a nice
job on the 3-step planting and throwing. When he throws like that in rhythm
he throws a beautiful NFL ball. Likes the trickeration and takes bride in
play fakes. When he can step into the throw he can riffle it between two
defenders with terrific velocity. Too often he takes the shotgun snap and
just stands there staring at a guy and then throws the ball, that would be
a disaster in the NFL. However, I think he looks his best when he takes a
3-step drop from the shotgun snap. I don't like how he looks when he
catches, peeks, and pitches. However, when he can 3-step and get his feet
moving in a practiced fashion everything just looks better and smoother.
He stands up right, hops forward, and when his 1st read isn't there his
feet don't panic, they are already moving so they are calm and step up and
allow him to throw a perfect pass 20-30 yards down field. I think the calmness
in his feet show he will have an easier time transitioning to the NFL than
I first thought. He looks like an NFL QB when eh can 3-step. He will,
sometimes, look off the Safety, but usually just tries to riffle it to his
first option. He does a nice job on the play action, and will sometime go
into a 5-step drop after, and throws a nice accurate ball off his 5-step
with pressure at his feet. Like I said about his 3, when his feet are
moving backwards in a 3 or 5 step drop, he just looks more natural and he doesn't
panic in the face of the rush or when there is no one to throw to. Hits
the quick out with perfect placement. He does a nice job slicing the ball
between two Linebackers in the middle of the field. When he is calm in the
pocket and can step into the throw he can pitch it fast and accurate. Even
when he gets pressure that forces him out of the pocket when he is 2 or 3
stepping, his feetdon't panic
and he can calmly run forward and gain some yards. When he can 2 or 3 step
and step into the throw, he makes NFL throws after NFL throws, and hits
guys consistent between two defenders. I just hate his feet when he
catches, peeks, and pitches. However, I love his feet when he 2,3, or 5
steps in the pocket.

Gabbert has a really nice
arm. He can put some RPM on his fastball. However, he can take some heat
off as well. In the NFL you have to be able to throw the off speed pitches.
He made one throw in the Bowl game that I still remember. The right WR ran
a post pattern. When he cut towards the post he left the CB a step behind
him, and cut between the LB and the Safety. The LB took a deep drop and
was positioned right in the lane Gabbert needed to to throw. So Gabbert
had to put a little arch on the ball to get it over the LB. However, the
Safety was coming up and he couldn't throw it to high or to soft. He
placed that ball perfectly into the WR hands, over the LB, under the
Safety, and just in front of the CB. It was a perfect NFL throw about
25-yeads down field. If you can consistently make that throw, you can make
a lot of money in the NFL. He also has that riffle that can shoot a bee bee
into the gut of a well cover receiver. He can turn wind up and get the
ball out and to the WR with as much zip as he needs. The problem is that
he is a Spread QB, which me he catches, peaks, and pitch. He needs a lot
of work on his footwork. He primarily catches the ball, peeks at the
coverage, and takes one or two quick steps towards the receiver and throws.
His biggest problem is that his first read isn't viable his feet panic.
His career rests in his feet. He is the
real deal. He has NFL talent written all over him. Has a riffle for an
arm, and when he is hot he can hit guys all over the field. He has
improved as a leader, and student of the game, according to his coach. He
also says he is as smart as it gets. And like I always say if a QB has all
the physical skills his success mostly rests on the work-ethic,
leadership, and mental intangibles. Immaturity has been a problem for him
earlier, and he should stay in school and dominate his senior season and
he would have been considered for the top pick. He also has the touch to
loft it over the Linebackers right in the middle of the field. He can
throw the ball so accurately when he is on. He has a legit NFL arm, and he
has the touch that can't be taught. When he
misses he doesn’t miss by much. He has that knack for putting the ball
where his receivers can get it, and the defender has to make a better play
to get it. That my friend is called accuracy. Through the ball to the
opposite side of the body to where the defender is. The more I watch him
play the more I like him. He is a very intelligent kid. You can see he is
smart and intense in his eyes. With his arm, accuracy, and smarts, if he
works hard enough and becomes a leader he is easily the top QB prospect in
this Draft. His only question for me is: is he a first-in, first-out guy?

The
Reason:If they pass on Gabbert here,
they will show again why they are perennial losers.

The Team:The Browns have a new coach and a new
offense. The HC of the CBs Pat Shurmer is a full out West Coast guy who
loves big tall West Coast WR. That is Julio Jones. They drafted two WRs
I really like Robiskie and Massaquoi, but they have not work out as well
as expected. They both look like nice complimentary receivers, but not
number one guys. They both are very skilled WR who lack a little speed,
but I think they both will fit better in the West Coast Offense. If the
Browns got a Number One West Coast WR that would improve their entire receiving
Crew, as both Robiskie and Massaquoi are big guys who can battle it out
for the 2nd and 3rd receivers. This pick will probably come down to
Jones or Nick Fairley. They are also completely switching the defense
from a 3-4 to a 4-3 and will certainly be needing a DT. Cleveland fans
are in for a big shock next season as they have completely change
offensive and defensive philosophies, and that is going to take time to
make two such huge adjustments. It will be almost impossible for them
not to moving backwards next season, which of course isn't the worst
thing in the world with Luck looming in the background.

The Player: Julio is a great
blocker. Great natural athlete. He makes it all look so easy sometimes.
Very physical WR. Extremely strong and tough. Near impossible for little
DBs to tackle him in the open field, and he consistently seems to knock
them on their butts. He has nice hips, and makes nice forceful cuts on the
comeback. Excellent hand catcher, and catches the ball with his hands away
from his body consistently in 2010. Very quick hands. He can hold out and
not signal the CB the ball is coming, and then snap his hands up and grab
the ball in a flash like Moss does. It can look funny when the little CB
tries to muscle him, and he just shrugs them off like a ladybug, turns,
and is wide open catching the ball. he gets down the field deep fast. He
likes to use a shoulder shake n' baketo fool the Safety on the deep Post. Great competitor with great
competitive speed. It can be tough to see on patterns sometimes, but when
he runs an end-around he flies by defenders like an Eagle who just spotted
a rabbit. He will lineup on the line like a
TE, and Alabama
will run the ball, usually to the opposite side.Comes off the snap a little slow, but gets out on CB nicely to
block, but will whiffs sometimes. Does a nice job getting out to the
safety and getting his way 20 yards down field when they are running the
ball when he is lineup like a TE.
Was a marvel as a freshman, and struggled a lot as a sophomore with drops
and a bad QB, who really was not very good on 2009. Looks like he found
his mojo again as a Junior, with some maturation by the QB. Currently
leading the SEC in career receptions by active players with 125. He has terrific quick feet, and can motor down quickly
and turn for a quick hitch. Big and strong, and when he is running with
the ball his straight-arm hurts DBs. Runs great routes, and knows how to
create separation with fakes, deeks, and sharp cuts. It looks like his
bobble-it is from his sophomore year is over. The terrific hands he showed
as a freshman returned for his junior year.

Jones
is just an amazing athlete. He had a bad start on his forty at the
Combine, and still ran an unofficial 4.43 forty. 179 catches for 2,653
Yards and 15 TDs. Jones had work extra hard for his yards. He played in a
primarily running offense where he was blocking a lot more than running
patterns. He is such a physical receiver, but he plays with such excellent
body and speed control. He is amazing in the open field, and is as dynamic
with the ball in his hands as anyone one in this Draft. He is such so big
and strong that people often don’t realize how fast and dynamic he is. I
can’t tell you how many times I saw him blocking DBs 20-40 yards down
field. He does a nice job coming back to the ball, and keeping his big
body between the ball and the DB. He needs to work on extending his hand
out more. He sometimes lets the ball into his body too much, and I think
that’s why he had so many drops as a sophomore. Sterling Sharpe called
it, “Lazy hands.” I liked that.

The Team:The San Francisco Franchise is in complete disarray, and
will remain in shambles until the QB situation is resolved. They have to find
one of these guys and develop him into the NFL QB. Signing Harbaugh
was a nice start towards developing a franchise QB. They have been
looking for a Shutdown CB for years, and it looks like they will finally
find him.

The
Player: Peterson is an amazing
talent. His list of accolades this past season is staggering: the Chuck
Bednarik Award (Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year), SEC Defensive
Player of the Year (by Coaches), the Jim Thorpe Award (The Best Defensive
Back in college), and SEC Special Teams Player of the Year (By Coaches).
He averaged almost 30 yards per return on kickoffs, and just a hiccup over
16 yards per return on punts. Not that I think that matters, because this
is a guy you want shutting down WRs on the leftside not returning kicks.
But it goes to show what a great athlete he is. He is explosive and
fearless returning kicks and punts. My biggest criticism of him is his
refusal to Fair Catch the ball on Punt Returns. A practice that nearly got
him killed a few times. I would never, under any circumstance, ever, put
this guy out as a Punt Returner and watch him break his friggin' neck because
he refuses to Fair Catch. At over 6' and around 220 pounds, he is as pure
a cover Corner as I have seen. His speed, quickness, and reactions skills
are unheard of for a guy his size. I hate the term "Shutdown
Corner", and very rarely use it. However, he has the potential to be
the biggest Shutdown Corner the NFL has ever seen. He is bigger than
Asomugwa and Woodson, and has their natural smarts, instincts, and
athleticism.

He has that knack for staying on a WR's hips. He has the size
and can hit like a Safety. Plus, he has the pure athleticism of the top
CBs in the NFL. He should be a top five pick. However, lately the top CBs
have slid out of the top five, and I think this trend might continue.

The
Team:The Titans can't pass on
Fairley here. They have been struggling inside since Haynesworth left, and
Fairley, though he has a different style game than Haynesworth, he could
be as good.

The Titans have developed a
great situation at D-End. they drafted two young guys, developed them, and
it looks like they have finally come into their own. Oops, both Dave Ball
and Jason Babin are Free Agents. They really need a QB, LB, and DT more.

The
Player:Fairley
is a Junior college guy who took a year to adjust to the SEC, but man did
he adjust! To say he has developed quickly from last season into a great
D-Tackle is an understatement. He
is a mean one–gapper who has burst, balance, and feet that a guy his
size just shouldn’t have. Watching him move his feet through the bags at
his Proday was jaw dropping. Agility, bend, and interior quickness in such
a big guy is something we haven’t seen in a while. Teams that want
penetrators will be drooling all over this guy. He is the best penetrating
D-Tackle in this Draft, period. Tends to get tired in games sometimes and
stand up. He is not the stoutest D-Tackle in the Draft, and when he gets
high he can look real bad real fast. However, when he plays and stays low
I don’t think any scout would disagree there is not a more explosive
penetrating prospect in this Draft. He has really long arms and when he is
on, he extends them so well and jolts the O-linemen, and then uses his
quickness to scoot around him.Plus,
he is mean-mean-mean, and he is not the QB's friend on the field, and that
is nice asset in a D-Lineman.He
was not great in 2009. However, he was great this past season, and in the
most important game if the season, the BCS Championship Game, he was truly
great. Great chop and puncher. He comes off the
snap low and attacks the O-Lineman's hands. His Slap Rip might be the best
move I've seenso far this year.
Though Suh did it more with power, and Fairley does it more with quickness.
Like Suh did last year, he can make OG's look ridiculous, when they try
and block him one-on-one. He is taken off the field a lot more than Suh
though, which is a little disappointing. It is probably a little unfair to
compare him, because Suh is the best. But he is best I've seen since...
well, Suh... last year. He likes to go low and submarine O-Linemen on Goal
line stand. He has the quickness to slip past the OG before he can react.
He is such a good hand fighter that if you don't get your hands on him you
can't touch him. And when he hits the QB watch out! Those are the QB hits
that win games. He has an amazing Ripthat he uses to split the double, and can still hit the quarterback.
When he comes off the snap low and with arms extend he is a force. He sometimes
burst into the backfield to fast to read what is happen and whiffs on the
ball carrier. He doesn't always recognize as quickly as you'd like, but
when he sees it, he can be impossible to stop him. Nice strength at the POT.
Great blast off the line, and he quickness and explosion off the line is
what makes him special. He blast off the line and into the backfield so
quickly he can look untouchable. I like how he moves down the line
laterally on run plays, Slapping, chopping , and punching any arm or hand
that gets near him all down the line. Sometimes he looks tired and grabs
onto O-linemen and stalemates himself. He has a lot of moves to disengage
once he sees where the play is going, including a text book Rip. He is at
his best when he can play the 3-techinique and just burst to the QB. His
best position in the NFL will be as a 3-techique. He reminds me of Warren
Sapp, and has Sapp's amazing burst off the line.

Fairly looks like he has Warren Sapp's blast off the line. I like how he
holds off the OG on inside runs on the opposite side, and slowly drags his
way in front of the RB. I love his Push-Pull/Swim combination, which seems
to just incapacitate any OG in front of him. He really plays in excellent
balance: He does a nice job extending his spider arms while getting
knocked backwards: he keeps his body in balance, his shoulders square,
feet shuffling, and somehow re-anchoring while staying in front of the
ball carrier. he when he stays and plays low, he has a great blast off the
snap with arms moving up and his hands always attacking. He startles OGs
with his quick Swim off the snap, he can leave them looking at air. I love
how he hand fights and slides down the line to the Point of Attack. His
ability to get under the shoulder the OG is trying to protect might be his
best asset. Then again, when he is in full attack-mode, his startlingly
quick blast off the line is clearly his best asset. He might be the best
pure 3-technique prospect I've seen since Warren Sapp. He needs to be in a
system that allows him to just blast off the line as much as possible. He
would be much less explosive in a two-gap defense. When he is tripled (I'm
startled by this and I'm not trying to block him), on one play against
Oregon, he Swam over the OG, Swam over the Center, and then Ripped to his
right past the other OG, and charged to the QB while all three guys looked
like school children running after the ice cream track. Startling. he
sometimes has trouble locating the ball, but also seems to play smarter as
the game wears on. Play Action, Screens, and Misdirection seemed to kill
him in the first half against Oregon, then in the 2nd half he seemed to
read it all near flawlessly. Sometimes he half-drops and plays that weird
LOS Spy that Suh made so popular last year. He was just pure brute force
in the Championship game smashing puny humans all over the field like the
Hulk. Then he seemed to get a little lazy in the 4th when it looked like
they had the game. Until suddenly Oregon was back on the comeback trail, and
on their finally drive he started harassing the Oregon QB again. He has a reputation
for laziness, and being a one year wonder, but man what a one
year!

Farley was a force of nature this year.
He exploded off the coast of Alabama and never slowed down. He might be a
one year wonder, but he plays with such power and balance with his hands hips
and feet that any coach would gladly take him on their team.

The
Reason:If is rare (and funny) to see
a free agent leave a team and see it have such devastating effects on both
teams. Usually it has a bad effect on one team. I can't remember ever have
seen it destroy both teams (except for the fact that Snider has already
destroyed the Skins;-) This could finally repair the damage down by Haynesworth.

The Team:Jones has been talking about taking a D-End.
I don't believe him. If he allows Jason Garret any input in the Draft it
will be a an O-Tackle. The problem is that I have both Watts and Cameron
Jordan falling down to 17, and three of the top four O-Tackles falling to
17. If is willing to take a 2nd to trade to 17, he will still be able to
garner a D-End or an O-Tackle. Everybody in the top ten is looking to
trade down, and this maybe the first spot where a deal could be worked
out.

More and more Draftnics have Smith
going here, and he has enough potential to go here, and the Cowboys have
enough need to take him here.

The
Reason:If seem like this pick to perfect
to ever happen. They have to get at minimum a starting ORT in this Draft,
and here he is. Plus, with the plethora of DBs in the 2nd and 3rd Rounds,
they should have problem finding a couple of DBs later.

The
Team:I
would be shocked if the Redskins picked here. They can drop down 7 spots
and still pick up a 2nd, and still get a QB, RB, or a D-End at 17, or
trade down again and pick up a 3rd or 4th.

The
Redskins have on the roster: Rex Grossman (Who I don't think can lead the
franchise, but the Shanahans do), John Beck (has thrown a pass in the NFL
to date, but is developing) and Donovan McNabb (Who I think can lead the
Franchise, but the Shanahans clearly despise him and word out of
Washington is that they want to release him, which would be typical folly
for this Franchise). So the need for a QB is not so desperate. Certainly
not as desperate as Arizona, San Fran, Tennessee, Minnesota, and Miami. It
comes down to two needs here: help the QB or help the passrush. It seems
to me they will be picking between Jones and Quinn. The good news for
Skin's fans is that this looks like a prime pick to trade. In order to
trade, you have to have a trading partner. With Jones, Quinn, and even
Locker still on the board that is three players who are worth trading up
for by a number of teams, including the Pats. The Pats have the connection
in Shanahan, an overstock of picks, and should have interest
in both Jones and Quinn.

Who knows
what this organization is going to do? Word coming out of Washington last
season was that they loves Locker. If they loved him last year why
wouldn't they love him this year. This Franchise
will continue to spiral into chaos until they can find a legit QB to lead
this team. Word out of Washington is that the Shanahans
love-love-love Rex Grossman, Eek!

The
Team:The
worst pass defense in the NFL last season. Philips is the new
D-Coordinator. They are switching to the 3-4, and will be looking for edge
rushers. They have to get a NT. They havea great offense, but the defense has defeated their playoff chances
for the past five years. They have to take their highest rated defender
with hopefully every pick in this Draft. They might be able to get Ellis
from Hampton
in the 2nd and 3rd. They could reach for Aldon Smith or JJ Watts. They
love Amukamara. They have to get a passrusher or two to defeat the edges
in passing situations.

The
Player: He has that knack for causing chaos, and his Draft stock
mirrors that knack. He had multiple alcohol troubles and rumors of positive
weed tests. Some say he is the best Press Corner in the Draft, over
Patrick Peterson. That is a bit much, but. AL Davis is rumored to be
trying to trade up into the 1st Round because he likens him to Asomugha.

This guy is an
amazing athlete. He has the size, speed, and that knack for shadowing
receivers. He needs some technique work as he tends to bail on is
backpedal a little early and shuffle rather then attack, but is such a
great athlete he was able to more than get away with it in college. Is
almost as big and fast as Peterson, and some have him rated ahead of
Peterson. His problem is that he is one of those guys that trouble just
swirls around, like the eye of the storm. What you have to remember though
is that he has never crossed into the storm himself and gotten in trouble.
His Character Concerns are all blown in from the people around him, which
can be just as deadly, but he himself has not crossed that line. From a
purely talent perspective he is on pare with Amukamara, and some scouts
think Peterson. He has some issues. He has amazing feet, and so can cheat
of his technique a little in college and get away with it. he tends to
bail on his backpedal to early, and with his speed, hips, and great
transition he shouldn't bail so early. he also ahs a tendency to bail and
shuffle his feet when the WR cuts to the middle of the field.

Smith
is a tall
and lean D-End, but he has big thigh and a nice bubble butt. He can really
uses his long arms well. Heavy hands and can give the OT a nice punch.
Gets double a lot. A little long legged, but has a nice burst off the
edge. Not a speed rusher but more of a long armed rusher. Does a nice job
extending his arms to keep blockers off his body. Will get too high
sometimes. he does a nice job fighting inside on the Dive. He is not a
burst inside slasher like a lot of DE/OLB in this Draft, but more of a
hand fighting force. He needs to get stronger in the upper body. He does a
nice job using his strong hands on the push-pull and can shrug the OG to
the side and burst forward. Doesn't always burst off the ball with
explosion. Sometimes reading the play slows him down. Team player who will
burst inside grapping the OT and OG when their is a blitz from the outside
to set him free. Rushes a lot from the inside, and seems to get his best
pressure form the inside. He has some shake n bake in his shoulders from
the inside, and use a great chop and slap on the OG's arms and hands.He doesn't always rush on passing downs, and will sometimes stay at
the LOS and spy on the QB. He has a nice Rip on the OG. he burst into the
OG OT gap and slams into the OT on the twist inside when he is rushing as
a DT. He does a good job reading the screen He too often looks like he is
reading rather than attacking. I'd like to see him attack more. he has the
speed and the hands to get the edge. he can turn the corner. He is a t his
best rushing form the inside when he can use his hands and long arms and
attack up field.

He
reminds me of Willie McGinest. He’s 6-5, 265 pounds, has very long arms,
and is a little stiff, just like McGinest. He is a little long legged, has
a knack for getting to the quarterback, and doesn’t have elite feet,
just like McGinest. He played inside and outside in college, he hits the
weights hard, and has more athleticism then his awkward frame would
indicate, just like McGinest. He’s only 20 years old and has a lot of
potential and development in front of him. If I’m BB and he is still on
the board at 10, 12, 13, or 15. I never think they should trade up, and I
wouldn’t complain on bit if they look to trade up for a kid he could
develop into the next Willie. With the redskins desperately looking to
trade out of pick number 10, the Pats extra picks, and BB’s new
friendship with Shanahan, it would certain make all the Pat’s whiney
Trade-Up Fans happy to get to ten and grab Smith. He has
that near perfect body for a 3-4 Edge Rusher.
His long arms and lean body give him such an advantage passrushing. He
had 17 Sacks, 36.5 TFL, 7 PBU, and 112 in the past two season despite
being injured for the first half of last season. He is a long lean
long-armed passrusher that looks like the prototype edge-rusher in a BB
defense. He has heavy hands and gives a nice punch. he was also very
effective when the moved him inside to rush from the D-tackle position. He
was just to quick for O-Guards in college, and in that way he reminds me
of a taller longer-armed Justin Tuck. As explosive as he can look moving
forward, he doesn't look as natural moving backwards. Despite how
explosive he can look as an interior rusher, he is not the stoutest
against the run. He can get too high sometimes in run defense. He is still
very young, and doesn't have a ton of experience. He Redshirted as a
freshman, and only started 21 games in college. But, all the clay is there
to be molded into a superior passrusher, and not just an edge rusher as he
was so effective rushing inside.

Aldon
Smith is one of the hottest prospects in the Draft right now. He
has such a nice burst off the edge. He is a little stiff, and BB has to be
comfortable with his ability to bend and turn the corner on the rush. His
long arms give him a lot of advantage over the other passrushers. He gotlot of Sacks coming right up the middle where he didn't have to
Turn The Corner, and that makes me a little nervous. I am going to have to
do a Reel Review of him, and see him TTC before I trade up for him. He showed he
could get low with a nice angle around a Cone-pad at his Proday, which is nice but not in the heat of battle.He
showed nice form in the RIP, which he likes to use inside. He also showed
he can get out of balance when he Dips and tries to turn that corner.He has a nice punch to the outside shoulder of the OLT, which is
always nice for bending the corner. More and more teams seem to be seeing
him as a D-End and not an OLB. I have heard a lot of the risk of
conversion guys. Well, all conversion guys carry a risk. When you take a
D-End who never played backwards, there is a risk when you make him a LB.
I don’t see why he is more of a risk than any other D-Ends. Look at
McGinest, he played Nose Tackle as a Junior. Now that is a conversion. His
blast off the Line is really something to see. The more I watch him blast
off the line the more I like him on the Pats. He sometimes gets too high,
and when he does he gets himself out of balance. He really needs to play
and stay low. He is a little long legged.

The
Reason:A
few years back the took a CB with attitude issues (at 7? Crap I can't
remember) Dunta Robinson, and that worked out very well.